Substandard Running Tracks Sicken China's Children

(Beijing) - Lack of standards and government oversight have led to the widespread use of dangerous materials for construction of running tracks that parents blame for health problems among their children at Chinese schools, industry experts said.

Synthetic running tracks constructed with cheap recycled materials are widely used in Chinese kindergartens, schools and colleges. Students in a number of schools across China reported feeling unwell after exposure to some newly laid tracks, leading parents to suspect such tracks were behind problems including nose bleeds, coughs and skin rashes.